Frerichs has money lead, but Cross gaining

SPRINGFIELD — Champaign Democrat Mike Frerichs has the largest campaign fund among the three candidates for state treasurer, but Republican Tom Cross is gaining on him.

In campaign disclosure reports filed earlier this week, Frerichs — a state senator whose district includes Champaign and Vermilion counties — reported $833,165 on hand on Dec. 31, 2013.

Cross, a state representative from Oswego, reported having $388,617. The third candidate in the race, Republican Bob Grogan of Downers Grove, said he had $21,087.

But Cross raised $327,381 during the October through December period, almost twice as much as Frerichs' $169,694. Grogan raised just $9,749.

Frerichs' local contributions in the last quarter included $500 from Charlie Hoss of Champaign and the Spiros Law firm of Danville; $250 from William and L. Kaye Boyer of Indianola; $200 from Jean Paley of Urbana and $160 from Jane Hays of Champaign.

Frerichs' largest contribution during the quarter — $15,000 — was from the Illinois Federation of Teachers. He also got $10,000 from AFSCME Illinois Council 31, which represents thousands of unionized state workers. He received $6,850 from the Mid-Central Illinois Council of Carpenters and a number of $5,000 donations, most of them union-related.

Cross' only local contributor was $500 from Habeeb Habeeb, chairman of the Champaign County Republican Party.

Statewide, his largest donations were $10,000 each from Oak Street Management LLC in Oakbrook Terrace, and from Chamberlain Manufacturing Corp. and TOC Enterprises, both at the same Elmhurst address. Both companies are part of the Duchossois Group, a family-owned business whose interests include the Arlington Park racetrack.

Cross also received a number of $5,300 contributions: separate donations from Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner and his wife Diana, and from Christopher Crane of St. Charles, Patricia Foglia of North Barrington, Jerome Rich of Sugar Grove, Tim Gill of Denver, Colo., and Laura Ricketts of Chicago, an owner of the Chicago Cubs.

The latter two donations are controversial on Illinois conservative group web sites because Gill and Ricketts are gay marriage activists, and Cross was one of three House Republicans to vote for marriage equality last year.

Almost all of Grogan's itemized campaign contributions were from the Chicago area, and included none from East Central Illinois.